Speaking at Showtime's Summer Television Critics Association tour in Beverly Hills, she said: "I was anxious about returning. I was so in my mommy bubble and I had all sorts of exaggerated fears. But it has been great.

"The material is very dark and it is so nice to come home and be jarred out of that state by this buoyant butterball - this bundle of love.

"I have this beautiful little boy to just kind of go 'bing' and just erase it all very quickly. [On set, our director Lesli Linka Glatter] will hold him and direct. She's literally bobbing him [in her arms] and says, 'Action'. It's very cool. It's very sweet."

Danes revealed that she and Dancy share childcare duties, with her husband now filming his show Hannibal in Canada.

She added: "It will be my turn to be holding down the domestic fort. We feel so fortunate that we get to work in tandem like this. There is, like, a month overlap but basically it is 'his turn, my turn'."

Homeland's third season returns to Showtime in the US on September 29 and will air shortly after on Channel 4 in the UK.